


blood & water

by afluffykiwi



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Slow Burn, uses some in game text
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 10:38:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10093250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afluffykiwi/pseuds/afluffykiwi
Summary: Alistair and Sereda haven't had the best experience with family, but they're trying to do better than what they've gotten.post meeting goldanna





	

The brightness of the Denerim marketplace momentarily blinded Sereda after stepping out of Goldanna’s home. She squeezed her eyes shut, partly out of instinct, and partly to help quell the rage that bubbled inside of her. She walked a few steps without sight, stopping when Alistair’s heavy footsteps stopped behind her. She didn’t turn, not yet.

A deep breath filtered in through her nose, the dry heat of the market and the mix of pleasant spices and unpleasant excrements steadying her. Quiet and peaceful was not at all an accurate description of their surroundings, but she didn’t need peace. Focusing on distant chattering helped her fight back all the nastiness that swirled in her chest. Ancestors, she was glad Herun wasn’t with them. She was glad no one else in the party was; it seemed that everyone she picked up had family issues, and she could barely handle her own. 

Betrayal was shit. From family it was worse. Her pains were old and half-scabbed over, but this was fresh for Alistair. She would suck it up, she would help him through this.

She turned and looked up at him. There was a tightness in his eyes that made her wilt, and he started speaking the moment he saw he had her attention.

“Well, that was… not what I expected. To put it lightly.” 

“I’d be concerned if it was, and you still wanted to see.” She mused.

“I’m sorry I gave her any money at all. This is the family I’ve been wondering about all my life? That gold-digging harridan? I can’t believe it,” He paused, shoulders drooping. “I...I guess I was expecting her to accept me without question. Isn’t that what family is supposed to do? I… I feel like a complete  _ idiot _ .” 

She bit the inside of her cheek. A large part of her said, ‘this is how that world is. suck it up.’ She didn’t want to give voice to it, didn’t want to be cold to him. She took another deep breath.

“You’re silly, but not an idiot,” She shrugged. “Family isn’t supposed to hurt you. If the world was fair, that’s how it’d be. The world isn’t fair. You deserve better. I deserved better.” She stepped closer, rested a hand on his arm. “You’re my friend, Alistair. I care about you. If she won’t accept you, then I will.”

He looked… shocked. And he had reason too, she’d never been the softest person in their party. She flushed, embarrassed, but she didn’t look away or back down. She was no sodding coward. When he saw she wasn’t going to take it back, a shaky smile tugged at his mouth. She returned it, stepped back, and took an indignant sniff.

“I should’ve cut her tongue out.”

“ _ Sereda. _ ”

“Oh, I mean it.” She scowled. “Anyone talks like that to you again and they’re getting a fist up their ass.  
He pressed a hand to his face. “You can’t do that.”

She grinned, patting him on the chest. “Watch me. Let’s go, there are better things to do here. Maybe ‘run and the rest have finished up with Marjolaine.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> this is pretty short, but i've been trying to write stuff for dragon age for almost TWO. YEARS. but i haven't been able to figure out long stories. so im starting small, hope that's alright!


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